The invention relates to a ratcheting adjustable wrench. In particular, the invention relates to an adjustable wrench which has a movable handle with respect to the jaw, which allows the wrench to engage and turn a nut, and then release the nut momentarily so that the handle can be repositioned to once again engage and turn the nut.
The use of a wrench to loosen or tighten a nut typically involves repeatedly removing the wrench from the nut so that the wrench can be repositioned prior to each partial turn of the nut. Such repositioning is time consuming, and has made ratcheting socket wrenches extremely popular, since they allow quick repetition of partial turns, without requiring that the wrench be removed from the nut. However, such socket wrenches require that a precisely sized socket be used. In most cases, the proper socket is not readily available. In many other cases the nut is located on a shaft, which does not permit a socket to extend over the nut. In either case, an adjustable wrench must be used.
Attempts have been made in the prior art to provide a ratcheting adjustable socket wrench. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,659,485 to Roth, 3,803,954 to Lenker, and 4,924,735 to Lenker, and 4,924,735 to Lee show several attempts to provide such a wrench.
My previous U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,459 discloses an open-end adjustable wrench which allows the user to easily loosen or tighten a nut without repeatedly removing and repositioning the wrench.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.
It is an object of the invention to produce an open-ended adjustable wrench which allows the user to repeatedly loosen or tighten a nut without repeatedly removing and repositioning the wrench. Accordingly, the wrench has a head which tightly engages a nut while turning the nut, but which pivots with respect the handle to simultaneously allow the jaw to slip around the nut and reposition the handle for another partial turn of the nut.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an open-ended adjustable wrench which is durable in construction, for a long useful life. Accordingly, the present invention employs a force plate, which extends between the handle and head, and distributes force from the handle to prevent undue strain on the worm gear shaft from the handle while the nut is under torque.
The invention is a ratcheting adjustable wrench, having a handle assembly and a head assembly. The handle assembly is pivotally attached to the head assembly. The head assembly includes a fixed jaw and a movable jaw which together may engage a nut. An opening, having an opening top and an opening bottom extends through the fixed jaw. A shaft spans the opening from the opening top to the opening bottom. A rack having teeth it rigidly attached to the movable jaw. A worm gear is slidably mounted on the shaft, which is attached to the fixed jaw and engages the rack. The handle has a contact point which selectively urges the worm gear against the opening top of the fixed jaw to maintain the position of the fixed jaw with respect to the movable jaw to torque the nut. A plate is mounted on the shaft for slidable movement thereon. The plate is interposed between the worm gear and contact point. The handle is selectively pivotable with respect to the head assembly to release the contact point from the worm gear to allow the worm gear to slide on the shaft, thus allowing the movable jaw to move, and thus allowing the wrench to slip around the nut so that the handle can be repositioned to continue loosening or tightening the nut.